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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Giving myself permission to not continue this book/series. It’s fast-paced, but i feel it lacks depth.
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-book-65.html
I have only read one other Maria V. Snyder book and while I wasn't a huge fan I was excited for the release of his book. I enjoyed the Avry's character and the idea behind the healing. At first I hated Kerrick and I thought there was going to be a love triangle between Avry, Kerrick and one of the other male characters but I was pleasently surprised to find myself wrong. I gave this book a four and I thought about giving it a 5 but I was hoping to get somewhere with the story and to find out the real reason behind the disease. And I am looking forward to the next book.
can I just say that I hate having to wait for sequels?
this was fantastic. the world building was detailed and rich, the characters complex and well created, and the plot kept me reading even though my cat demanded attention.
I loved that the healers take on the pain of those they heal, and then heal themselves. I love that they're flawed.
I do wonder if this series is connected to the poison study series. I'm going to have to reread them, it's been years....
this was fantastic. the world building was detailed and rich, the characters complex and well created, and the plot kept me reading even though my cat demanded attention.
I loved that the healers take on the pain of those they heal, and then heal themselves. I love that they're flawed.
I do wonder if this series is connected to the poison study series. I'm going to have to reread them, it's been years....
Review that I posted as a comment in May 2012 because I was a Goodreads noob back then. Now updated to show as an actual review:
I really enjoyed the concept of Avry's powers. Because as far as I'm concerned, people shouldn't be able to heal others without some sort of price. It's just too good to be true.
I found that Snyder's first book to be a bit predictable. Well, actually... Very predictable. I kind of enjoyed being able to predict the plot before I read it since it made me feel like a fortune teller or something. Haha. But at the same time it kind of took away from the excitement of the book. And yet. Yet... I still found this book to be really great!
The romance plot line has been one that's been done many times, and I was quite surprised that Snyder decided to write it the way she did, but it was a nice form of the old classic.
Although, I kind of felt like Avry was too modern of a character to fit with the medieval setting Snyder was portraying. I really enjoyed Belen, Flea, and the two monkies characters, though. Kerrick was just okay. Nothing about him really stood out to me.
With that said, this was a great book to finish off the year with, I would easily recrommend this to any Snyder fan or anyone who likes a good fantasy story.
I really enjoyed the concept of Avry's powers. Because as far as I'm concerned, people shouldn't be able to heal others without some sort of price. It's just too good to be true.
I found that Snyder's first book to be a bit predictable. Well, actually... Very predictable. I kind of enjoyed being able to predict the plot before I read it since it made me feel like a fortune teller or something. Haha. But at the same time it kind of took away from the excitement of the book. And yet. Yet... I still found this book to be really great!
The romance plot line has been one that's been done many times, and I was quite surprised that Snyder decided to write it the way she did, but it was a nice form of the old classic.
Although, I kind of felt like Avry was too modern of a character to fit with the medieval setting Snyder was portraying. I really enjoyed Belen, Flea, and the two monkies characters, though. Kerrick was just okay. Nothing about him really stood out to me.
With that said, this was a great book to finish off the year with, I would easily recrommend this to any Snyder fan or anyone who likes a good fantasy story.
I liked the concept for this story and the world building was fantastic.
Avry is a Healer, she can cure and take away pain from sick people but her kind are hated as they are accused not aiding the ones who suffer the deadly Plague. Arrested for using her powers to save a sick child, Avry faces a certain death until she is rescued by a young man named Kerrick. He needs her powers to heal Prince Ryne, the very person who started the plague.
She outright refuses because she has heard of Ryne and it is not good words. Healing him would lead to her death as well. But she is the last Healer left, she is their only hope. Healers are not immune to sickness and injuries, their bodies take on the illness and injuries of the people they save. But they heal at a faster rate. She meets the other men in the group: Loren, Belen, Quain and Flea. I like how she formed bonds with them and treated them like brothers. Kerrick seems very harsh towards her. I was appalled that he slapped her.
On this journey with this band of men who she comes to care for. Avry learns what it is like to live again. Experience happiness and sacrifice.
I loved the world building here. It was so intricate and detailed. There was a mix of ancient and modern. In my head I imagined a very exotic world with European influences. It was a great combination that made me fall in love with this world. I was very surprised when a curling iron came up as I did not hear of the use of electricity in this world so I was confused. The clothing worn was very middle age: tunics and pants. The weapons too.
I was quite surprised with the age of the characters. I expected Avry to be about 17-18, perhaps even younger so I was surprised when it was revealed that her age was 20! This is a YA book so I felt the ages were too old. Kerrick was 25! Though I felt Avry did not act like an adult, her mindset was much like a young adult's and Kerrick did not act his age too.
To the plot. I liked the way it began but I was disappointed with how inconsistant it was. At times it was really good and at others, it was boring and repetitive. I liked how the author created this interesting plants and animal life from scratch. Also she added surprises that totally swept me off my feet.
Speaking of sweeping off my feet, the couple here, Kerrick and Avry did not admit their feelings till towards the end. I was a little peeved by how the author paired Avry with Kerrick. Granted he rescued her and all but he was violent to her and he chained her to a tree like an animal because of his loyalty to Prince Ryne and her out right refusal to heal him. She is utterly stubborn and thought him to be a cold hearted bastard which he acted like. So she slowly realizes she connects with him not emotionally as she hates him and he her but through their powers. He is a forest mage. They can use their powers to aid each other. She loves his scent of spring sunshine and living green when she shouldn't. I really can't imagine sunshine having a smell. Argh! They really annoyed me!
I have no idea how Kerrick could suddenly love Avry so much when he was so cold and uncaring before. I think she had more interaction with the others than Kerrick. And suddenly they are getting are emotional and confessing their feelings for one another. For "adults" like them, the author surprisingly wrote their "steamy" moments in a very chaste way, describing as little as possible. How did they go from not wanting to be in each other's company to being intimate? It baffles me. Wrong way to play out a romance, the author spent too much time developing their loathing for each other. I guess the author was going for a very hate turned to love romance?
Somehow I came to like and dislike Avry. She is a Healer so selflessness comes to her naturally and she is not a damsel in distress. That was another thing. She grew as the book progressed, going through many challenges and betrayals. She also was very efficient and brave. I liked how she was unflinching when she was in Tohon's castle. She did her job as a healer and still managed to figure out how to escape despite the setbacks. She is also very intelligent. The things I didn't like was the way her emotions for Kerrick developed or more correctly lack of emotional developement in that aspect.
I would recommend this as a fantasy adventure novel not as a fantasy romance as you will be disappointed if you think the romance will take center stage here. I am on the fence on whether to read the next book as I am excited to read about how Avry will find a cure to the plague as she found out some interesting information about the Peace lily, but I am not looking forward to the romance. I have no idea whether it will be mushy annoying romance or something I can appreciate. This book had amazing potential but there were obvious flaws. It wasn't perfect. There are some books where you read and know, this is some amazing stuff and it clicks right off the bat while others are good and could be amazing but something feels off. Hoping for the best!
Avry is a Healer, she can cure and take away pain from sick people but her kind are hated as they are accused not aiding the ones who suffer the deadly Plague. Arrested for using her powers to save a sick child, Avry faces a certain death until she is rescued by a young man named Kerrick. He needs her powers to heal Prince Ryne, the very person who started the plague.
She outright refuses because she has heard of Ryne and it is not good words. Healing him would lead to her death as well. But she is the last Healer left, she is their only hope. Healers are not immune to sickness and injuries, their bodies take on the illness and injuries of the people they save. But they heal at a faster rate. She meets the other men in the group: Loren, Belen, Quain and Flea. I like how she formed bonds with them and treated them like brothers. Kerrick seems very harsh towards her. I was appalled that he slapped her.
On this journey with this band of men who she comes to care for. Avry learns what it is like to live again. Experience happiness and sacrifice.
I loved the world building here. It was so intricate and detailed. There was a mix of ancient and modern. In my head I imagined a very exotic world with European influences. It was a great combination that made me fall in love with this world. I was very surprised when a curling iron came up as I did not hear of the use of electricity in this world so I was confused. The clothing worn was very middle age: tunics and pants. The weapons too.
I was quite surprised with the age of the characters. I expected Avry to be about 17-18, perhaps even younger so I was surprised when it was revealed that her age was 20! This is a YA book so I felt the ages were too old. Kerrick was 25! Though I felt Avry did not act like an adult, her mindset was much like a young adult's and Kerrick did not act his age too.
To the plot. I liked the way it began but I was disappointed with how inconsistant it was. At times it was really good and at others, it was boring and repetitive. I liked how the author created this interesting plants and animal life from scratch. Also she added surprises that totally swept me off my feet.
Speaking of sweeping off my feet, the couple here, Kerrick and Avry did not admit their feelings till towards the end. I was a little peeved by how the author paired Avry with Kerrick. Granted he rescued her and all but he was violent to her and he chained her to a tree like an animal because of his loyalty to Prince Ryne and her out right refusal to heal him. She is utterly stubborn and thought him to be a cold hearted bastard which he acted like. So she slowly realizes she connects with him not emotionally as she hates him and he her but through their powers. He is a forest mage. They can use their powers to aid each other. She loves his scent of spring sunshine and living green when she shouldn't. I really can't imagine sunshine having a smell. Argh! They really annoyed me!
I have no idea how Kerrick could suddenly love Avry so much when he was so cold and uncaring before. I think she had more interaction with the others than Kerrick. And suddenly they are getting are emotional and confessing their feelings for one another. For "adults" like them, the author surprisingly wrote their "steamy" moments in a very chaste way, describing as little as possible. How did they go from not wanting to be in each other's company to being intimate? It baffles me. Wrong way to play out a romance, the author spent too much time developing their loathing for each other. I guess the author was going for a very hate turned to love romance?
Somehow I came to like and dislike Avry. She is a Healer so selflessness comes to her naturally and she is not a damsel in distress. That was another thing. She grew as the book progressed, going through many challenges and betrayals. She also was very efficient and brave. I liked how she was unflinching when she was in Tohon's castle. She did her job as a healer and still managed to figure out how to escape despite the setbacks. She is also very intelligent. The things I didn't like was the way her emotions for Kerrick developed or more correctly lack of emotional developement in that aspect.
I would recommend this as a fantasy adventure novel not as a fantasy romance as you will be disappointed if you think the romance will take center stage here. I am on the fence on whether to read the next book as I am excited to read about how Avry will find a cure to the plague as she found out some interesting information about the Peace lily, but I am not looking forward to the romance. I have no idea whether it will be mushy annoying romance or something I can appreciate. This book had amazing potential but there were obvious flaws. It wasn't perfect. There are some books where you read and know, this is some amazing stuff and it clicks right off the bat while others are good and could be amazing but something feels off. Hoping for the best!
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tosi viihdyttävä YA-fantasia, jossa oli taikuutta, vaarallinen ruttotauti ja keskenään sotivat hullut kuninkaat. Tykkäsin ihan hirvittävästi päähenkilöstä, Avrystä, joka oli omapäinen ja omatoiminen nainen. Avry matkaa kirjassa kundiporukan kanssa ja kemiat henkilöiden välillä naurattivat useampaan kertaan.
Kakkososaa en kuitenkaan taida lukea sen saamien huonojen arvostelujen vuoksi, sillä haluan pitää muistikuvani tästä sarjasta pelkästään positiivisina.
Kakkososaa en kuitenkaan taida lukea sen saamien huonojen arvostelujen vuoksi, sillä haluan pitää muistikuvani tästä sarjasta pelkästään positiivisina.
Really good writing, fantastic plot line and well thought out! I rate this book 4.5 stars as the end that i was anticipating could have had a bit more umph! still it was a fantastic read and i impatiently await the next installment!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes